Maybe the Happy in Happy Ending is overrated
by Swanandapirate
Summary: After The Dark Swan's reign is over and she's back to being Emma, she isolates herself. What happens when she tries to reintegrate in Storybrooke?


**A/N: Hi! So this is my first fic ever so it probably sucks, but I just felt a bit inspired by Adele's Hello and I wanted to write something down. Seeing that English isn't my first language there might be quite a lot of mistakes. Sorry for those and please let me know what you thought of it.**

After living two months in almost complete solitude (with several interventions of the hope squad consisting of her mother, father and her teenage son) Emma Swan, former Dark One, decided that it was time to face the rest of the town.

The return to her savior self was a hard path with several relapses. And every time the darkness took control, Emma lost more of her confidence.

So she excluded herself from the centre and took a place in the shadows.

Henry had told her several times that she had to get out there and everyone would accept her with open arms, but Emma knew that Storybrooke's inhabitants were far more resentful in reality.

"Okay, Emma. Here we go. Just go in there and order something. A grilled cheese and some onion rings. That's something you would want. They'll think you're still the same Emma." She thought.

The door opened when Ava and Nicholas came out of Granny's with their father.

"Hey, Emma!" they yelled in unison.

Emma smiled back hesitantly and walked in. The doorbell rang a second time while it closed and suddenly it felt as if every Granny's regular stopped what they were doing and started watching her. Which wasn't far from the truth.

Actually everyone did except for one table. The table where he was sitting. Killian.

No, that table was full of laughter because Ariel said something and he and Tink found it hilarious. Seeing him there, clearly having fun, made Emma forget her original purpose of going into the diner and she left, only staying seconds inside.

It was in that moment that his blue gaze found hers and she tried leaving even faster. Plan to blend in?

Failed.

Emma ran to her old house (because what is a true villain without their evil mansion?) and sat on the ground. Why did he have to be there?

The one moment that she didn't think about him, he was there. Not even alone. No, he was having the time of his life with friends.

Maybe even more than friends.

Ariel had Eric as a True Love, so she's only that. But Tinkerbelle was the exception.

Killian's relationship with Tink had always been a unknown story to Emma and it hadn't come up during the uncountable conversations they had. She knew that she shouldn't feel this way.

He actually seemed happy and without worry for once. She wasn't allowed to, but she still felt like a jealous piece of shit.

A tear rolled down her face and landed on the wooden floor. The single tear turned into uncontrollable sobbing and Emma fell asleep from exhaustion.

A phone rang, waking Emma up. She picked up, without looking at the caller-ID. Lately the people that called her were narrowed down to three. The question was: which one of them was it?

"Hello?"

"Mom!"

Okay, Henry it was.

"Yes, kid?" She replied while fixing her hair and getting rid of anything that could prove she had a breakdown.

"Where are you? Gramps and Grandma say you weren't at their place last night. Did you go to Hook's ship?"

"Henry… You know that-"

"What? That you still love him? Or was it the fact that you still want to be with him?"

Emma still wondered how her kid got so smart and observant.

"I just…"

What were the right words to help her explain this to him?

"Mom, I'm sorry, I need to go. My other mom's calling, but please just talk to him. I love you."

"I love you too" Emma just got to say the words back before the beep came up.

She started to scroll her contacts and there he was. His contact photo was one in front of the Jolly Roger. He and Henry had just gone on a boy's only trip and were returning with mischievous grins. They were looking so alike that Emma decided to snap a pic.

Later she found out the looks had something to do with her impending birthday and the beautiful, engraved compass that they gave her.

"It'll make you a real pirate, mom. Just like us."

Just like her boys.

She pressed call and the tone rang. He didn't pick up. Was it because it was her number or maybe he was still busy?

His voicemail played.

"Love? Do I just speak?"

"Yeah, hurry before it beeps" she heard herself say.

"Aye, em. This is Killian, you pressed the Hook button on your talking phone, but mine is turned off. Sorry."

Emma's voice quickly added

"Please, leave a message. Bye!" and the phone beeped.

"Hi" she started talking, but she soon choked up, overwhelmed by memories.

"I probably shouldn't have called, but I just needed to say something. I'm sorry for what I did and pretty much for everything and… well yeah. That's about it. Goodbye."

She wanted to say so much more:

I miss you.

I feel lonely without you

I need you.

I still love you.

The tears started to fill up her eyes again. "Pull yourself together, Emma. Please, just hold on. Breathe and try to survive this day. See what happens after."

Through her blurry eyes she saw a text from David that said that her mother was making lunch and that, if she wanted to, she could come by the loft and eat together. Her father always gave her a choice, understanding her difficult situation. But seeing that she didn't want to spend any more time alone, she would go there and see what happened.

Lunch was actually quite nice. Neal was growing so fast. It would probably not be a surprise if he was crawling next time she visited. Her mother talked about a new recipe for a pear tart or whatever it was she found and David happily filled her in on the town's business.

It helped her to take her mind off of everything. More specifically her non-existing love life. She hadn't heard anything from him and it had been a couple of hours since she called. She wasn't really expecting anything (what could he even reply?) but knowing he heard her apology, might help her move on. She neared the grey house and parked the Bug.

"Swan." She heard when unlocked her front door.

It was him. He came. Emma turned around and was surprised by what she saw. It seemed he hadn't slept in quite a while. Definitely not well. His hair was completely ruffled, as if he had constantly run his hands through his dark locks. His face was creased with worry and concern. He spoke again.

"Are you alright?"

Emma nodded. She asked the question that was racing through her mind.

"Why are you here?" Killian looked at her.

"Your boy payed me a visit this morning."

That would explain Henry's abrupt end of their call.

"I wasn't really going to do anything about it and I also tried to explain him but then I heard your message, Swan, it was quite concerning. You were weeping. Of course I came."

"I thought you didn't care."

Disbelief washed over his face.

"What?"

"It's been two months, Killian."

"I know how bloody long it has been, Emma. What do you think that I've been doing for me not to realize that? I didn't go one some trip or anything. I have been right here, in Storybrooke. Asking Dave and Henry how you were. And every time I got the same vague answer: "she's trying.""

Emma received brand new information and it took a while for her brain to process it.

"They didn't tell me that."

"Obviously they didn't. How are they supposed to tell that I, your former lover, want to know how you are."

Emma replied

"But that changes so many things."

"Tell me. How does that change anything?"

"That means that there's nothing between you and Tink."

He laughed cynically and Emma became confused.

"Bloody hell, Emma. What kind of games are you playing? You must be joking right now. Honestly, Tink and I are friends and nothing more. She knows that I'm still completely in love with you and that's not likely to change in the next bloody century. The last two months have been like hell. Not seeing you or talking to you made life so much harder. Tink and Ariel have helped me to defer my thoughts a bit. You said to leave you alone and I did."

Emma was shocked and before she got to say anything, he begun again.

"I won't waste anymore of your precious time, seeing that you're apparently just fine. I just need to know something. Why? Why did you break up with me? Did you just not love me anymore or was there something that I did?"

His expression became so hurt, that it physically pained Emma to see him like that. She rapidly formed an answer.

"I didn't want to involve you in my trouble and then hurt you. You deserve so much better than me and you shouldn't be stuck with a ticking time bomb. Being the Dark One's boyfriend isn't easy."

"Even when I'm technically not the Dark One anymore, I still have troubles. Henry and my parents, they don't really have a choice. They're my family. But you. If anything happened to you, it would only be my fault. I would never forgive myself. It only takes one moment of magic to ruin it all."

Tears started to form. Emma wiped them away with anger.

"Stop crying. I'm so sick of crying. I can't take it anymore." She said to herself.

Killian used his hook to pull her closer and softly took her hand.

"My love, look at me." Emma looked up.

The face she saw not too long ago was gone and there was now a new man standing before her. A man full of love. He wiped her tears away with his right hand.

"There's no need to weep. I'm still here. So is Henry and your brother and parents. You haven't destroyed our lives. I'm now speaking for myself, but I know your boy and family feel exactly the same way. You've made my life, my existence so much better. You can't even comprehend how troubled and set on revenge I was. You've seen some, but just a fraction. The things that I did were terrible. Nothing could or would change my path. Love, you did. You changed a man soaked in darkness into the man I am today. And I am forever grateful for that. You're going through a rough patch, but you have so many people that are willing to help you. Not just your family and I, but everyone in this town. I can't even believe that you ended our relationship for that reason. Emma Swan, I love you. Nothing's going to change that."

Killian's speech turned Emma into a crying mess. He took her in his arms and finally opened the door. They walked into the bedroom and went to lie on the bed. Emma felt her eyes close, but just before she muttered

"I love you, Killian" and he replied

"I know, Swan. Go to sleep. We both could use it, love."

They fell asleep and suddenly the house felt like a home.


End file.
